AVIATION

Hokitika Guardian, 1 May 1931, Page 2

AVIATION

NIGHT AND DAY AIR MAILS. LONDON-WELLINGTON 8£ DAYS. LONDON, March 20. Day and night air mail services linking London with the most distant parts of the Empire in little more than a week, arc, according to authoritative British expert opinion, well within the hounds of possibility. The followng schedule of regular, businesslike operations, dependent on the establishment of high-speed services concerned solely with the carriage of mails, was sketched by Sir Hubert McLean, who is one of the leading men in the British aircraft industry, in the course of an interview with Lord Amulree, the Air Minister, arranged for a deputation of the London Chamber of Commerce. It epitomises the possibilities of immediate and dramatic acceleration in all existing air Services. The times quoted were:— London to Calcutta, 3j days. London to Sydney, 7) days. London to Wellington, 8) days. Acceleration of this order involves a 24-hour schedule throughout the flight and the efficient lighting for night navigation of the routes. Given this organisation there is tio doubt that British aircraft constructors afa to-day in a position to build immediately fast aeroplanes which could maintain such a schedule with ease, cruising with a full load of mails on * board at speeds around 150 and 160 miles an hour. Sir Kobert McLean pointed out that the average speed in summer on the Indian air route between London and Karachi, operated by air liners carrying mails and passengers, was about 28 miles an hour. Mails lie added sfiould not be kept stationary for 16 Jiours of the 24 because they bad to travel at the same rate as passengers. Passengers and mails should be separated. Where traffic did not justify ... separate passenger and mail services over a route a mail service operating on a 24-hour schedule should be given preference. Extending the Air Route. Lord Amulree, who expressed much sympathy with the opinion that the development of efficient day and night air mail services was desirable, stated that proposals for extending the England-.! ndia service to Australia were being considered by Australia and by the Governments of India and of the Straits Settlements. The'advances in speed and efficiency of British military aircraft during recent;>years has an important bearing .on .this desired development of Empire air services. The latest British one and two-seater lighting aeroplanes attain speeds or approximately 220 and 18U miles an hour respectively even when carrying a service load; the latter multi-engined bombers are little behind them. Experience gained in

the design, building, and flying of these service aeroplanes is already beipg -Incorporated in the construction of civil aircraft capable of much improved performance.